Tehran Travel Guide

Weather:Tehran features a semi-arid climate . Tehran's climate is largely defined by its geographic location, with the towering Alborz Mountains to its north and the central desert to the south. It can be generally described as mild in the spring and autumn, hot and dry in the summer, and cold in the winter.

Local time:GMT+03:30

Currency:Rial

Language:Persian

Population: 8.4 million

About Tehran:
Tehran is the capital of Iran now and the most 32nd national capital of Iran and is the largest and most populated city of country with a population of around 11 million national census 2011 and ranked 29th in the world by the population of it’s metropolitan era . Compared to Iran’s other capitals , Tehran is not considered to be an old city little is known about Tehran before 1220 AD when along with Ray the ancient capital of east media it was razed to the ground by the Mongol invaders.It was not important city until chosen as the capital of Iran by Agha Mohammad Khan the first king of Qajar dynasty in 1796 and soon was expanded by his successor ,Fath-Ali Shah who built the Golestan palace (comprise of 8 different palaces was built in 19th century ) and most of the historical building of Tehran are of Qajar period.The city was the seat of Pahlavi’s dynasty too that is why historical and governmental buildings are belong to this period.
Large scale demolition and rebuilding began in the 1920s and Tehran has been subject of mass migration of people from all over Iran since the 20th century.
The major landmarks of the city include the Azadi tower , a memorial built during the Pahlavi period and the Milad tower the world’s 17th tallest freestanding structure which was built in 2007 the newly built Tabiat bridge is considered as the 3rd symbol of city Tehran is also a focal point of Iran’s transportation network and where more than 40% of the nation’s economic activities take place ,those who inhabit this young metropolis have come from around the country with different beliefs ,cultures , languages and life style and live in a national and international context together.
Tehran is now a bustling metropolis of 14 million people .it is situated at the foot of the towering Alborz mountain rang.
Tehran is a cosmopolitan city with great museums, parks, restaurants, warm friendly people .
Tehran as the showcase city of Iran has a wealth of cultural attractions. The peacock throne of Persian kings (Shahs’s) can be found in Tehran ‘s golestan palace , some of the well –known museums are national museum , the carpet museum of Iran , Sadabad palaces complex ,glassware , and ceramics museum of Iran, Tehran under glass painting museum , niavaran palace complex and safir machines museum make Tehran a city deserve at least a few days of your Iranian itinerary.

sport complex in Iransport in IranAzadi complex

Sports Played in Tehran

Tehran was the first city in the Middle East to host the Asian Games. The 7th Asian Summer Games was held in Tehran, with the participation of 2,363 athletes and officials from 25 countries.
Football and volleyball are the city's most popular sports, while wrestling, basketball, and futsal are also major parts of the city's sporting culture.
12 ski resorts operate in Iran, the most famous being Tochal, Dizin, and Shemshak, all within one to three hours from the city of Tehran.
Tochal Ski Resort is the world's fifth highest ski resort, at over 3,730 meters (12,240 ft) at its highest, and it is also the world's nearest ski resort to a capital. The resort was completed in 1976, shortly before the 1979 Revolution.
Tochal has an 8-kilometre-long (5 mi) gondola lift which covers a huge vertical. There are two parallel chair ski lifts in Tochal that go up to 3,900 meters (12,795 ft) near Tochal's peak (at 4,000 m/13,125 ft), rising higher than the gondola's 7th Station. This altitude is higher than any of the European resorts.
From the Tochal peak, one has a spectacular view of the Alborz range, including the 5,610-metre-high (18,406 ft) Mount Damavand, a dormant volcano. At the bottom of the lifts in a valley behind the Tochal peak, there is the Tochal Hotel, located at 3,500 metres (11,483 ft) altitude, where a T lift takes skiers up the 3,800 metres (12,500 ft) of Shah-Neshin peak.
The first football club of Tehran was founded in 1920 and named the Iran Club, which was dissolved in 1923. Currently, the oldest football club of the city is Rah Ahan Crystal F.C.which was founded in 1937. The city has hosted the final of the 1968 AFC Asian Cup and the 1976 AFC Asian Cup. Persepolis and Esteghlal, which are the city's biggest clubs and two of the biggest clubs in Asia, compete in the Tehran derby.
Tehran is also the site of Iran's national football stadium on Azadi Complex, with 100,000 seating capacity. Azadi Football Stadium is one of the largest in the world, where many of the top matches of Iran's Premier League are held. In 2005, FIFA ordered Iran to limit spectators allowed into Azadi Stadium, because of a fatal crush and inadequate safety procedures. Other stadiums in Tehran include Dastgerdi, Takhti, and Shirudi stadiums.

TehranCulture and History

Culture

Architecture
The oldest surviving architectural monuments of the city are from the Qajar and Pahlavi eras. Although, considering the area of Greater Tehran, monuments dating back to theSeljuk era remain as well; notably the Toqrol Tower. There are also remains of the Rashkan Castle, dating back to the ancient Arsacid era, of which some are housed at the National Museum.
Previously a low-rise city due to seismic activity in the region, modern high rise developments in Tehran have been undertaken in order to service its growing population. There have been no major quakes in Tehran since 1830.
Tehran International Tower, the tallest residential building in Iran, is a 54-story building located northern district of Youssef Abad.Appealing to the principle of vertical rather than horizontal expansion of the city.
Azadi Tower, a memorial built during the Pahlavi period, has been the longstanding symbol of Tehran. Milad Tower, the sixth tallest tower and the 17th tallest freestanding structure in the world, is the city's second landmark. Leila Araghian's Tabiat Bridge, the largest pedestrian overpass of Tehran, was constructed between 2010 to 2014, and is considered as the 3rd symbol of the city.
Cuisine and restaurants
Tehran has many modern and traditional restaurants and cafes, serving both traditional Iranian and cosmopolitan cuisine. One of the most popular dishes of the city is chelow kabab. Pizza, sandwich, and kebab shops make up the majority of food outlets in the city.
Performing arts
During the Qajar era, Tehran was home to the royal theater of Tekye Dowlat located at the southeast of the Golestan Palace, in which traditional and religious performances were observed. It was destroyed and replaced with a bank building in 1947, following the modernization of Tehran under the reign of Reza Shah of the Pahlavi Dynasty.
Before the 1979 Revolution, the Iranian national stage had become the most famous performing scene for known international artists and troupes in the Middle East, with the Roudaki Hall of Tehran constructed to function as the national stage for opera and ballet. It is home to the Tehran Symphony Orchestra, the Tehran Opera Orchestra, and the Iranian National Ballet Company.
The City Theater of Tehran was opened in 1972, with its main building designed by architect Ali Sardar Afkhami, and contains several performance halls.
The first movie theater of Tehran was established and opened by Mirza Ebrahim Khan in 1904. Until early 1930s, there were 15 theaters in Tehran Province and 11 in other provinces.
There are many movie theaters in Tehran, with most of them located downtown. The complexes of Mellat Cinema and Gallery, Azadi Cinema, and Cinema Farhang are among the well known cinema complexes in Tehran.
Festivals such as Fajr International Film Festival, Fajr International Music Festival, Fajr International Theater Festival, International Puppet Theater Festival of Tehran, and Tehran International Animation Festival are also observed in the city.

History

The first mention of Tehran has been made in a work by the Greek Theodosius, who has mentioned Tehran as a suburb of Rey about 2000 years B.C.
However, the oldest Persian document on Iran shows that the city existed before the third century AH because an author called “Abu Sa’d Sam’ani” has mentioned a man called “Abu Abdollah Mohammad ibn Hamed Tehrani Razi” who has lived in Tehran and Rey and has passed away in about 261 AH or 874 AD.
Abolqasem Mohammad ibn Hoqal has described Tehran as such in 331 AH, “Tehran is located north of Shahr-e Rey and has many gardens and diverse fruits.”
Aboleshaq Estakhri has given a detailed report on Tehran in his book, Al-Masalik wal Mamalik, in 340 AH. Ibn Balkhi has explained about Tehran in his book, Farsnameh, which he has written in about 500 AH.
Najmeddin Abu Bakr Mohammad ibn Ali ibn Soleiman Ravandi has noted in his famous book, Rahat us-Sudur (authored in 599 AH) that the mother of Sultan Arsalan Seljuk, who was going from Rey to Nakhichevan in 561 AH, stopped near Tehran while Sultan was residing in Doulab region, which was located southeast of Tehran.
The area between the southern hills of Alborz and the northern parts of Kavir Desert is relatively smooth and very fertile which extends from east to west. This region has been among the most important centers of population and one of the main routes connecting the east to the west. Therefore, the city of Rey and its perimeter up to a radius of about 100 km has been the birthplace of one of the most important human civilizations which has been known as “Central Iranian Plateau Civilization” and dates back to more than 8000-12000 years ago.
Existence of the renowned Silk Road through this city, presence of permanent rivers like Halileh Roud, Jajroud, and Karaj which reach the plateau of Rey as well as major alluvial regions created by the said rivers in addition to suitable climatic conditions have kept the region alive throughout the history and have helped the city survive through centuries close to its main origin, which is currently known as Tehran.
The ancient city of Rey dates back to about 6,000 years ago. This claim has been proved by Dr. Eric Schmidt who was heading an American archeological delegation. He explored a region near Rey, which is known as Cheshmeh Ali, and recovered pottery and painted dishes whose antiquity has been estimated at about 6,000 years after frequent scientific tests. At present, the report prepared by Dr. Schmidt is kept on the bulletin of University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. Rey, as a name, has been registered in ancient tests such as Avesta, Torah, and Greek and Latin books as Rega, Ragha, and Rages. It has been called Raga and Regai under Median and Achaemenid rule. This city has been called Europos under Seleucids and Arsakia under Sassanid rule. Arabs have registered its name as al-Rey.
In the middle of the 8th century AH, Rey was part of the Median territory and it was part of the Achaemenid rule in the 6th century AH. Its name has been registered as Raga on Bistoon inscription. Under the rule of Sassanid kings, Mehran was governing Rey and the city enjoyed a special spiritual position under Sassanid kings when it included a burning fire temple.
What can be gathered from written works of historians and geographers about Rey is that many of them have attributed establishment of the city to Sheith, the son of Adam. Some have noted that legendary kings like Houshang of Pishdadi dynasty, the son of Kioumars, has built it and some have attributed it to Ruy or Razi, who was a song of Noah. But, most stories have noted that the city was first built by Houshang, the first Iranian king, in 4000 B.C.
After many historical ups and downs, Rey was demolished by Moguls in 617 AH. Although it was relatively prosperous under Mogul Ilkhans, but Klavikhu, who passed through the city in 806 AH, has described it deserted. Although the city became prosperous again under the Safavi rule, it never achieved its past status.

Iran is truly one of the world’s beautiful countries with various natures. Though if you want more wild experience there are limitless opportunities. Damavand mont. the hiest mountain in Iran, is one of them